Human Development Theories: Lev Vygotsky Theory

Throughout the intricate process of human development, major theories have contributed to its fruition: Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, the Normative Approach influenced by G. Stanley Hall and Arnold Gesell, Operant Conditioning created by B.F Skinner, and the Simon-Binet Intelligence Test designed by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon. With this being said, each concept upholds its own specifications in which they apply to human growth. Human growth is an enduring affair that depends on the surrounding culture of each person. As each theory applies to a different facet of life, speculation surrounds each of them. Despite speculation, a few of these theories resonate with me and have been applied throughout my life.

Primarily, Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory represents a theory with which I agree. Lev Vygotsky believed that all caregivers were in the authority of how children emerge and develop throughout their lifetime. He emphasized interaction as being essential for children to expand their lifestyle at such an early age. I believe being around values with the people you love has its effects. With this being said, my family and friends have had an enormous amount of influence on my life, which is why it resonates with me the most. Without that connection, I would absolutely not be the person I am today. My father used to bring me to a baseball field every day when I was a child. He would show me the knowledge and importance of the game. Now fast-forward, I attend the University of Florida majoring in Sport Management trying to work my way into a Major League Baseball front office. Human development is an everyday experience that relies on cooperation from those close to you. People aren’t born into values; they get brought into them.

The normative approach, an early scientific theory designed by G. Stanley Hall and Arnold Gesell, is a theory that I do not completely agree with. Both of them saw human growth as something that was already predetermined, which I do not concur with. They believed that child development was instinctive or in other words, hereditary based on age averages. With that being said, I do believe age averages show the expected age a child should be or should be starting to do something. Being able to do something by the expected age is a good way to consider what “normal” or “on track” is. But the reason I disagree with this theory is that I believe all human growth wires back to the people around you. With a stable learning environment around you, you will be able to stay on track with people your age. A friend of mine, a son of two lawyers, dropped out of high school because he never had that support system. Conclusively, child development is not genetically determined.

Operant conditioning is a way of learning through reinforcement or recognition. B.F Skinner, influencer of operant conditioning, believed that to truly learn the right behavior, you must experience the consequences of the wrong behavior. Because of this, I agree that this behaviorism and social learning theory is true. This theory resonates with me the most because I’ve experienced it. For example, when I began middle school, I would only complete my homework when my parents were home because they would watch me. Later on, they saw my grades plummet, so they began to punish me by taking away my electronic devices. Because it was the wrong thing to do, they punished me for my actions. On the other hand, beyond that point, I would never test my parents. So, as a result of improving my behavior, they would reward me. For instance, I would clean the dishes after dinner and then be rewarded with dessert sooner. By knowing a reward would come in return, I identified what the correct behavior was. This statistically shows doing the wrong behavior is less likely to occur.

Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon, inventors of the Simon-Binet Intelligence Scale, were all about the mental testing movement. Originally, the test was meant to identify children that need educational support but eventually developed into a memory test that compared an individual’s cognitive progression. This early scientific theory does not resonate with me because it is not something I can particularly connect or relate to. It is also something that I do not agree with. I do not think it is a good way of observing the intellectual growth of a human. It is shown that even some of the more intelligent people are not good test takers. This could be the case for many reasons. People could have a great deal of anxiety or nervousness racing through them at the time or they could even just be thinking too much about a question and over-thinking it. It happens to so many.

Each given idea endorses its own identification in which they cover human development. Theories such as Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, Normative Approach, Operant Conditioning, and the Simon-Binet Intelligence Test have all contributed to its fruition. With every theory covering different surfaces of existence, there is always speculation circling throughout it. Through experience and resonation, these claims on theories disappear. Human growth is a long, collective process that relies on the cultural environment around them. With different cultures, there comes a difference in behavior and intuition.